


Someday When We're At the Same Place

by danrdarrenc



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 04:11:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3754030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danrdarrenc/pseuds/danrdarrenc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Will gets tired of fighting a losing battle, Will and Sonny break up and go their separate ways. This is the story of how they grow as individuals and how they grow back together when they meet once again three and a half years later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someday When We're At the Same Place

A month after the blow up at the anniversary party, Will finally gets tired of being the one trying to fix his and Sonny’s marriage. Sonny has made no attempt to agree to set up counseling or even to sit down with him and talk things out. Paul has remained in Salem to get to know John and because he flat out refused to go back to San Francisco with his lying mother and Sonny has spent more time with Paul in the last month than he has with him. He has no use for ineffective blackmail and lying anymore and he’s exhausted from fighting an uphill battle with Sonny that Sonny isn’t even beginning to fight. So one day while Sonny is at work, Will calls up Aiden Jennings and requests he draws up divorce papers.

That night when Sonny comes home, Will sits him down at the kitchen table and slides the envelope across the wood towards his husband.

“Divorce papers?” Sonny asks and his voice sounds slightly strained.

“It’s not working, Sonny,” Will says, his voice hitching up and breaking in the middle of the sentence. “I’ve tried so hard to try to fix things with you but I hurt you so bad that you’re not even trying. That’s okay. I get it. I broke things between us but I’m just tired. I don’t want to fight anymore if you’re not fighting with me and alongside me. So…I’m letting you go. We were young and foolish and I was - am - screwed up and maybe we were just too much in too different of places in our lives to be forever right now. Maybe we need to be apart to grow and become different people. And if we’re meant to be together, then maybe we’ll meet again when we’ve become those different people and we’ll be better for each other then.”

“Will…” Sonny whispers.

“I’ve already signed the papers. All you have to do is sign them too and give them back to Aiden. You get the apartment and there’s a provision in there that you get to see Ari whenever you want, so don’t worry about that. But, um, we’re leaving for LA in the morning to spend some time with Mom and the kids. After that, who knows. Maybe I’ll climb K2.” 

Will gives Sonny a tiny smile before he stands up. Sonny pushes his chair back to step in front of Will. In the first contact Sonny has initiated with him in over a month, Sonny pulls Will into a tight embrace and buries his face in Will’s neck. 

“I will always love you,” Will whispers into Sonny ear, hugs Sonny back briefly, and then pulls away. 

A second later, Will disappears into Ari’s bedroom and Sonny is left alone in the kitchen with only the divorce papers as company.  
_______________________________________________

True to his word, when Sonny wakes up the next morning Will and Ari are both gone, along with all their things. It takes Sonny nearly two minutes to calm his anxiety attack and control his hyperventilation but tears do not fall until he is alone in the shower and the weight of the broken state of his life sits heavily on his shoulders and in his throat. 

He walks zombie-like around Salem for a couple of weeks, going to work, coming home to the empty apartment, eating, sleeping fitfully, repeating the process day after day. For the first time since Will and Paul’s affair came out, Sonny consciously avoids Paul, regret and guilt sneaking under his skin and into his thoughts, opening his eyes for the first time at just how much it was his fault that sent Will towards divorce being the only option. 

The day he gets the notice from Aiden that the divorce has been finalized is the day that Sonny begins to figure out how to put his life back together, finally believing that this has all not just been a terrible nightmare.

His first step towards his new life is to put away all of the pictures and reminders of Will that remain in the apartment. He places them carefully, reverently, in the cardboard box, first the photo album Will made so lovingly for him last Valentine’s Day, then picture frame after picture frame, and the framed wedding invitation Maggie gave them at the disaster anniversary party. He slides the wedding off his finger with an overwhelming finality and slips it into the envelope which encloses Will’s letter to him from their wedding day and both sheets of paper of scribbled notes of their vows. He prints pictures from his phone and his computer that have accumulated over the two and half years that he and Will were together and then deletes them from his devices, creating a blank slate. 

An hour later, when he can no longer find any traces of Will or Ari in the apartment, Sonny gently buries the box of mementos in the back of his closet. After, he takes a long walk in the park, breathes in the fresh early summer air, and imagines the possibilities of this new, unexpected adventure.  
___________________________________________________

His first night in LA, Will cries himself to sleep in Sami’s arms, after an hour-long conversation about how he tried to be so different than her but ended up blowing up his relationship anyway. Sami cries with him, feels like she’s failed him as a mother, but cradles him in her arms and tells him everything is going to be okay even as she fondles EJ’s wedding band that she wears around her neck like a talisman.

For two weeks, Will runs every morning up and down the beach on which Sami’s film-provided house sits, taking in the fresh summer air, and stares out at the waves, contemplating where to begin to start his new life. He spends his days babysitting Johnny, Allie, and Sydney, getting them reacquainted with their niece. At night, when Sami is home from the long days on her film set, he scours the papers and flyers on street walls for jobs that might interest him when he’s not coming up with various ways to explain to a cranky Ari why her other Daddy isn’t around anymore. 

The day he gets the notice from Aiden that the divorce has been finalized is the day that Will gets the news that he’s the new leading journalist for the _LA Times_. He wonders how he has bypassed all the journalists already at the paper for such a prestigious job title, but when his new boss gushes about the work he did on the Paul Narita piece, the mystery vanishes. That night, as he pours over research for his first assignment, the sting of what doing Paul’s article cost him sits low in his stomach but the pride of his accomplishment is much greater and pushes thoughts of his broken marriage into the depths of his mind. 

The next morning, when he settles himself at his desk in the _LA Times_ office, Will smiles at all the possibilities with which this new freedom presents him.  
____________________________________________________

It takes Sonny nearly a month after the divorce finalization to even think about dating somebody new. As much as Will had been right about him not fighting for their marriage those last few weeks, Sonny had still loved him and Will had been the love of his life; Will’s infidelity hadn’t changed that. But it had destroyed the bright shimmering fairytale-idea of family they had built together, and Sonny knew deep in his heart that it would be too difficult to move on if he spoke to or saw Will even for Ari’s sake. So the visitations he is entitled to per the divorce agreement remain unused. 

Surprisingly, Sonny’s divorce had seemed to keep Paul’s advances at bay for a while, though if Sonny really thinks about it, the real reason was that Paul was dealing with getting to know his long-lost father. So when Paul approaches him one day in the middle of July asking if he wants to go to dinner and a movie, Sonny is taken aback.

“Yeah. Okay,” Sonny answers almost instantly and the breathiness of his own voice shocks him. 

Paul’s grin lights up his face and he bounces out of TBD after telling Sonny he’ll pick him up at eight.

Later, when they stand outside Sonny’s apartment, hands clasped between them, Sonny’s heart beats fast against his chest as Paul closes the distance between them and presses their lips together softly, a kiss Sonny hadn’t even realized he’d been waiting for for over six months. Smiling into it, Sonny unlaces their fingers and wraps his arms around Paul’s neck, deepening the kiss. 

When they break apart, Sonny is flushed and his stomach is just as fluttery as it was after their first first kiss so many years ago and Paul leaves the apartment complex with a promise for coffee tomorrow.  
____________________________________________________

A month after he starts his job at the _LA Times_ , Will is invited to a company party by one of his coworkers. He doesn’t realize at first that he’s agreed to a date; when Adam shows up at Sami’s house with a single rose and a sparkling smile, Will nearly slams the door in his face. But Sami - so used to flitting from man to man - encourages him with kind and comforting words and he goes to the party as Adam’s date. 

The kiss Adam places on his lips when he drops him off later that night is soft and chaste and Will blushes shyly when Adam pulls away after only seconds. Will smiles at him, his heart dancing the way it had in the lane outside the Brady Pub with Sonny so long ago, and he boldly suggests they get coffee together in the morning before work.

They see each other outside of work at least twice a week for the next three weeks. On the fifth date, Will finally has occasion to tell Adam about Arianna Grace and in one second flat, their budding romance comes to a screeching halt. Adam is only twenty-five and just starting out in his career and has no desire to be a father so soon. Will crawls into bed an hour later, the baby monitor silent next to his bed, and cries for the first time in months over the family he destroyed and for fear that he will never have such a family again.  
_____________________________________________________

Navigating an open and free relationship is new territory for Sonny and Paul. It takes Sonny a few dates before he remembers that he can reach across the top of the table and take Paul’s hand in his and it’s only on the third date that Paul finally feels comfortable enough to kiss Sonny in public, in the middle of Horton Town Square. 

Sonny is still a little wary, too, of announcing to Salem that he’s in a relationship with the man his husband - ex-husband - cheated on him with. But eventually news that Sonny was the man Paul talked about in his article gets around the grapevine and people become more understanding overnight. 

When Lucas comes back from his two-month long trip to LA to visit Will, Allie, and Sami, Sonny has the misfortune to bump into him outside the Brady Pub while holding hands with Paul. It’s awkward for a minute until Paul excuses himself and then Lucas and Sonny are alone.

“I know I’m not your father-in-law anymore,” Lucas says. “But I just want to make sure you’re happy.”  

“I am. Yeah,” Sonny replies and he feels only a little bit guilty. 

“Well, that’s good. That’s good.” After a beat, Lucas says, “Will seems happy too. He’s all tan.”  

Sonny grins instinctively. “Is he, uh, is he seeing anyone?” Sonny asks, suddenly not sure what he wants the answer to be.

“He’s had a few dates here or there. Nothing serious yet,” Lucas answers honestly. “His focus right now is Ari and his job.”  

“He has a job.” It’s not a question and it stings Sonny to realize he doesn’t have the right to know that anymore, let alone be the first person Will tells.

“Yeah. Yeah. He’s the lead journalist for the _LA Times_.” Lucas beams with pride.

“Wow! That’s great!” Sonny says genuinely. It’s not filmmaking but being a real journalist was always something in the back of Will’s mind as something to achieve.

“Yeah.” Lucas clears his throat as the conversation falters and then says, “I have a meeting. I’ll see you later.”   

Sonny nods and Lucas disappears into the Square.

* * * * * * * * *  
As it turns out, Lucas’ meeting had been with Adrienne in Club TBD where Victor was also having a meeting and discovered their affair. 

Shockingly, the news doesn’t reach Sonny until the following morning when Abigail comes over to the table in the Pub where he’s sitting with Paul, having breakfast. The fork actually falls out of his hand and clangs on his plate when Abigail clarifies why she’s asking him how he’s holding up. When she leaves, apologizing profusely for spilling the beans, Paul jokes that he’s glad Sonny was sitting down, otherwise he probably would have fainted. 

Later, after Sonny has confronted his mother for cheating on his father - again - Sonny crawls into bed with Paul for the first time since renewing their relationship, not for sex, just simply for the comfort of Paul’s arms around his back, holding him tight, and grounding him to this new world of his.

Two weeks later, after Paul treats Sonny to a birthday dinner-for-two at the Penthouse Grille, complete with candles and flowers and slow-dancing, Sonny takes Paul home with him and they make love for the second first time. 

With his head pillowed on Paul’s chest and his mind falling into unconsciousness, Sonny muses on how different this time was from that first time in hiding almost five years ago. It’s not as earth-shattering, not as satisfying, almost jaded in a way, feels as if something is not quite as right as it was back then. 

In the morning though, as Paul peppers his neck with soft butterfly kisses, and he turns around to kiss Paul lazily in the early morning sunlight, Sonny thinks the world couldn’t be more perfect.  
___________________________________________________

For the next several months, Will wracks up legitimate journalism stories, one after another, compiling an impressive portfolio of interviews, historical pieces, book and film reviews, and interest pieces. Alongside his achievements at the _LA Times_ , by the time the new year rolls around, Will builds up an equally impressive list of guys he’s dated, most only a date or two, some for a couple of months, some just for sex. 

It’s not that he hasn’t been looking for someone to have a real relationship with - he does want one again - but he’s a little gun shy after what happened with Sonny, and he still feels as if he needs more life experience before he can endeavor into something so serious again. After his fifth semi-relationship, not including the other dates that don’t go anywhere, is initiated by guys he would have used to feel are way out of his league - young doctors, lawyers just starting out, other journalists, and a bunch of actors - Will’s self-esteem and confidence is at an all-time high.

It doesn’t change the fact that his having an almost three-year old daughter scares off some of the guys he likes, but he walks into bars and clubs and even the office with his head held higher and his back a little straighter. He’s prouder of his work than he was with the pieces he put out in Salem (even if they hadn’t all destroyed lives, including his own, they were bad quality) and he’s started to work on a novel in his spare time. 

Around Valentine’s Day, Will breaks the news to Sami that he’s got himself and Ari an apartment (”It’s two blocks away, Mom. Don’t worry!”) and they move out of Sami’s house the next day. It’s the first time he’s truly lived on his own - Sonny had really paid for the apartment and at most they were paying jointly - and he feels more adult-like than ever being able to provide for himself and his daughter entirely on his own. Somehow that fact, knowing that his life, along with Ari’s, is completely in his control grounds him more surely in his world than anything else has before.

* * * * * * * * * *

He’s been in LA for a little over a year and Will is at a science convention he’s covering for the paper when someone taps on his shoulder. He turns around to find himself face-to-face with Neil Hultgren and an image of him underage and drunk making out with a boy for the first time under the arch in Horton Town Square flashes before his eyes.

“Neil?” Will asks, shocked.

Neil nods and smiles. “I wasn’t sure you’d remember me.”

“You were the first boy I ever kissed and you outed me to my grandfather trying to save me from going to prison, how could I forget you?” Will blushes at his forthrightness even as the words tumble out of his mouth. Apparently his newfound confidence has made him bolder and freer with words too. 

Neil laughs a little and asks, “Can I buy you a drink?” After a beat, “You are legal now, right?”

It’s Will’s turn to laugh. “Yes, I am. But, no, you can’t buy me a drink until later. I’m on the job.” He waves the pen and notebook in the air. 

“You’re a journalist?” 

“ _LA Times_.”

“Wow. That’s impressive,” Neil says. 

“So what are you doing here?” Will asks. 

“I am actually a research assistant for the leading scientist who is speaking tonight,” Neil says, pointing to the badge stuck to the lapel of his jacket.

“And you think my being a journalist is impressive?” Will jokes and he’s proud of himself for not feeling jealous or inadequate. Just impressed at what his old crush has also achieved. 

“Hey, I was never a good writer. So making a living out of it is impressive to me.”  

“Okay. Fair enough, fair enough,” Will says and he bows his head shyly, as his heart speeds up a bit against his chest. 

Three hours later, Will and Neil sit at the bar together, drinks in hand, and catch each other up on everything that’s happened together in the four years since their encounter in Horton Town Square. 

“I, um, I have a daughter,” Will tells Neil without prompting. Neil is the first guy Will has properly liked in a long time and he wants it out there now before things go any further.

“Oh, wow. Really?” Neil asks and Will is relieved that he doesn’t go running but genuinely looks interested.

“I struggled a lot with myself and coming to terms with who I was after our kiss,” Will explains. “One of my childhood friends called me some names and I freaked out and sort of used my ex-girlfriend to try to prove something to myself. It was a stupid thing to do but Arianna is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so I’m glad it happened.”

“How old is she?” 

“She just turned three,” Will replies, pulling a picture out of his wallet and showing it to Neil.

“She’s beautiful,” Neil says, almost wistfully. 

They lapse into silence for a minute and then Neil asks, “So are you still friends with Sonny. We kind of lost touch.”

Will’s smile fades and he picks at the napkin under his glass. “We, um, we dated for a couple years and we were married for a little over a year,” Will answers, forcing himself to look Neil in the eyes.

“What happened?” Neil asks gently.

“I cheated on him,” Will says honestly. If he wants a relationship with this man sitting next to him at the bar, he has to be completely honest with him, starting right now. Not being honest is what got him and Sonny into so much trouble.

“I’m sorry,” Neil says, as everyone does when they don’t know what else to say.

“Don’t be.” Will shakes his head. “I was impulsive and stupid and I acted without thinking of the consequences. I know better now.”  

“Well, it sounds like you learned from your mistakes,” Neil observes. “That’s a lot more than most do.”

Will nods and smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I, uh, I should get home. Relieve the babysitter.”

“Right. Yeah. Of course,” Neil says, slapping a twenty dollar bill onto the bar. “Let me walk you to your car?”

Will assents silently and follows Neil out of the bar. As they come to a stop next to Will’s car, Will turns and asks, “If I haven’t scared you away too much, I’d really like to see you again.”

“How does Friday at eight sound?”

“Friday at eight sounds great,” Will says and his heart skips a beat. 

“This is my number.” Neil hands him a business card. “Text me your address and I’ll see you Friday.”

He leaves with a charming smile and a kiss on Will’s cheek and Will stands outside his car for nearly two minutes, grinning stupidly to himself and butterflies flapping away in his stomach.  
_____________________________________________________

The day Paul moves his things into Sonny’s apartment is the day Sonny realizes he’s missed Ari’s third birthday. He wonders briefly if Will had a party for her - Lucas has been out of town for a couple weeks - and he momentarily considers calling Will. But then Paul walks through the door, sweaty and breathing heavily from carrying the boxes from his car to the apartment and all thoughts of Will and Ari vanish from his mind.

It’s odd for Sonny living with someone again after being on his own for just over a year. It’s even odder living with Paul. They had never lived together their first time together and, despite all the experience Will thought he had, Will had really been the first person he’d lived with officially. After two years of getting used to Will’s little quirks and living habits and falling into a rhythm, it takes adjusting to redo it all with Paul. 

As it happens, it takes Sonny only a week to size up Paul’s habits and work his own around them. He switches his toothbrush into the right slot, so Paul can have the left, and it’s nice that they can have breakfast together since Paul is an early riser. Plus, the apartment has never been cleaner or more organized. 

Still, sometimes he finds himself unconsciously missing Will’s grumbles in the morning when Sonny’s alarm goes off, and the messy pile of clothes on the floor at night when Will comes in late and is too lazy to put them in the hamper before crawling into bed. Mostly, though, it’s the sound of Ari’s tinkling laughter and the patter of her footsteps that Sonny misses and sometimes, late at night while Paul breathes evenly, asleep, next to him, Sonny regrets that he never used even one of the visitations Will granted him in their divorce. 

But he thinks it’s too late now - though he’s sure Will wouldn’t deny him - to put himself back in Ari’s life; so when Paul asks a couple months after moving in if they can turn the spare bedroom into a workspace for his new job as sportscaster for local teams, Sonny readily agrees.  
_________________________________________________

Six months into their relationship, just before Thanksgiving, Will asks Neil to move in with him and Ari. He worries that he’s moving things too quickly again, but he hasn’t felt this way about anyone since (or other than) Sonny and Neil is great with Ari. They’d hit it off right away and it’s clear she adores him whenever he’s over at their apartment, so it seems natural that he be there all the time; it would make things easier for all of them. To Will’s great surprise and delight, Neil accepts the offer and he’s moved into the apartment within the week. 

It’s different getting used to having another adult in the apartment again, especially since Neil’s habits are different than Sonny’s had been. But Will has always been adept at adjusting to new situations on the fly and he adapts within days. They’re actually pretty similar in the way they live - neither of them is a particularly good morning person and they are both somewhat messy when they’re tired or lazy - so it’s not that much of a stretch for either of them to cohabit the apartment. 

Being intimate with someone who isn’t Sonny is new for Will though. His disastrous romp with Paul had just been in-the-moment sex, as had it been with some of the guys he’d picked up in bars during his time here in LA; there had been no feelings beyond lust involved. His first time with Neil, however, had been shocking and somewhat earth-shattering, and it frightened him a bit that he could be so vulnerable physically and emotionally again and almost in a way he never had been with Sonny. After, as he had fallen asleep curled into Neil’s side - also so different from being with Sonny (Sonny had loved to fall asleep with his head on Will’s chest) - Will smiled to himself, content and sated, and so full of a love he never thought he would have for anyone but Sonny, or ever again.  
___________________________________________________

Sonny and Paul spend their second Christmas in Dubai, attending Justin and Elsa’s wedding. Sonny is reluctant at first to go at all, still upset with both his parents for the way their relationship fell apart (and if he’s honest with himself, for the end of their relationship hitting so close to home regarding his own failed marriage with Will), but Paul coaxes him into it, wanting to see where Sonny grew up and all the places Sonny used to talk about when they were in San Francisco together.

Eventually, Sonny agrees and they take a month-long vacation to Dubai, where Sonny takes Paul around to all his favorite places he’d discovered in the years living there and visiting old friends Sonny knew still lived there. After the wedding and for New Year’s, they venture into Eastern Europe and visit the European markets, decked out with ornaments and tinsel and lights for the holiday. Sonny has a fleeting memory of talking about coming here with Will but he shakes off the brief knot that has taken hold of his stomach and follows Paul over to a stand full of colorful jackets and scarves, which they buy for their mothers. 

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, Sonny kisses Paul under the stars and in the blinking flashes of fireworks in the middle of an open-air market festival and it feels like a promise fulfilled, a promise made so long ago in a hotel room in California and only which now has come to pass.  
___________________________________________________

A year after Will and Neil begin dating, and six months after Neil moves in with Will and Ari, Will gets the news that _Penguin Random House_ wants to publish his novel. It’s nothing sophisticated, not Dickens, or E.M. Forster, or Oscar Wilde, just a silly semi-autobiographical tale of the romantic entanglements, battles, friendships, and everyday interactions of a small, isolated group of humans and aliens in a colony on the moon. 

Ari shares her fourth birthday party with him, a celebration of his great accomplishment as a writer, Neil standing up proudly and toasting to his journalist-novelist boyfriend. Will blushes shyly, shies away from the attention on which he would have thrived only a few years ago when he was still in Salem, but his chest expands in pride for himself and this achievement he has earned entirely on his own.  
______________________________________________________

Sonny’s window shopping in Horton Town Square for Christmas presents when a display in the bookstore’s front window stops him dead in his tracks. Propped up on a stand on top of a pile of books is _Like Cycles of the Moon_ with a poster of Will next to it. He stares wide-eyed at the giant headshot of Will; his ex-husband’s face looks more mature, more focused, and his posture is more self-confident. Without a second thought, Sonny pushes open the door of the bookshop and purchases a copy of the book.

Later, he sits in bed next to a slumbering Paul and pulls out Will’s book. He laughs softly to himself when he reads the description on the back cover and ends up reading through the night, finishing it by noon the next day. When he closes the book after reading the last word, all Sonny feels is pride.  
_____________________________________________________

In the months following the publication of his book, Will Horton becomes a household name. Copies of _Like Cycles of the Moon_ fly off the shelves and every store selling it orders twice the amount of shipments it did originally. He tries at first to maintain his job at the _LA Times_ \- he loves being a journalist, after all - but when Anna, his publicist, informs him that he’ll be doing a nationwide tour from August to just before Christmas, he’s forced to take a leave of absence from the newspaper. 

He battles with Anna about the logistics of the tour, not wanting to drag Ari into a new hotel in a new city every other night, but not wanting to leave her behind for four months either. Neil graciously offers to take a leave of absence from his job at the tech firm so he can tag along and take care of Ari but Will flat out refuses, tells him his job is more important. In the end, it’s Sami who insists she look after her granddaughter while Will travels around the country and promises that she and the kids will visit at least every other weekend in whatever city he’s at. 

Their parting is difficult when he leaves for the first leg of the tour - San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Phoenix - but they get through it and Will calls Ari every night to say goodnight before he calls Neil to talk about their days. By the middle of September, the stress on both his relationship with Ari and his relationship with Neil makes Will seriously consider turning around and heading back to LA. He misses his daughter and his boyfriend, misses falling asleep next to Neil every night, craves the kiss and the touch of the man he loves. But Anna talks him off the edge and they leave for Minneapolis the next morning.

His stop in Chicago is the first week of November and for the first time in a long time, Will thinks about visiting Salem. He talks to his dad on the phone at least once a week during the months when Lucas doesn’t come to LA and he’s kept in touch with Kate and Marlena through emails mostly. He knows that Sonny has been dating Paul since the divorce was barely final but the knowledge doesn’t sting him as deeply as it had when he’d first found it out. Being only a train ride away from Salem has made him curious about his ex-husband but his tour schedule provides no time for excursions so he lets thoughts of Sonny go. 

The last month of the tour is the hardest for Will, both in terms of doing the book readings and signings and in the toll it takes on his relationship with Neil. Traveling from Detroit to Cincinnati to Atlanta to Orlando and up the East Coast to New York and Philadelphia has left little time for long phone conversations and no time for Skyping. When they do speak, they often bicker over little things - if Neil should come visit even though Will will be home soon, if Neil should get a Christmas tree, whether or not Will should buy Neil more souvenirs from the cities he’s in when he’s already bought twenty, which is more than enough; but then it’s Christmas Eve and Will is home and Ari is still with Sami and they have the best sex they’ve ever had.  
_____________________________________________________

Just after Salem rings in 2018, Sonny hears about the owners of Blondie’s, the old piano bar on the east side of town that his parents used to frequent when they were young, have put the place up for sale. Having recovered from the disaster of the South Side club, plus having accumulated more profits than he had when he’d first invested in the failed club, Sonny contacts the owners. Within an hour, he’s called Aiden Jennings - Justin is still in Dubai with his new wife - to draw up an agreement, and he reads it twice over before signing it. 

He’s always wanted to own a piano bar but the building needs a renovation and modernization. So Paul helps him find contractors and even puts in some ideas on how to revamp the place to make it more appealing to the current residents of Salem. Sonny’s thrilled when the contractor he hired says the work won’t take more than four months and he sets an opening date of June 1st.

With no money mishaps or building code violations this time, he keeps on track and the new Blondie’s opens on schedule. In his time as both professional baseball player and sportscaster, Paul has compiled an impressive list of contacts and he’s able to get Josh Groban to agree to play piano and sing for the opening. The night is a rousing success, with Paul, his mother, Victor, Abby, and JJ there to support him. 

After, when everyone is gone and it’s just the two of them cleaning up, Paul pulls Sonny onto the dance floor and sways with him to invisible music. 

“I’m so proud of you, Sonny,” Paul tells him, as Sonny wraps his arms around Paul’s neck.

“After what happened with my last attempt to open a new club, I wasn’t sure this was going to happen,” Sonny admits. 

“I always knew you could do it,” Paul replies with a smile and presses their lips together softly.

Sonny smiles into it, kissing back lazily. When they break apart, Paul has an odd look on his face and Sonny looks at him curiously.

Paul pulls Sonny’s arms off his neck and laces their fingers together at their sides. “When I first came back to Salem four years ago and saw you were here, I had all these hopes that we could be together again. But then you were married and everything happened with Will and I thought for sure I’d ruined any slim chance I could possibly have with you. And somehow, I’m not really sure how, you forgave me for doing what I did and you came back to me. These last three years have been the best three years of my life. I love you so much.”

Paul pauses and Sonny’s heart starts beating wildly against his chest, certain he knows where this is going.

Sure enough, Paul reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a box as he drops to the floor on his knee. Suddenly, Sonny panics but he can’t say anything before Paul asks, “Sonny Kiriakis, will you marry me?”

In that moment, Sonny remembers the shocked and panicked look on Will’s face that day he’d first asked Will the same question and the answer Will had given him.

“No,” Sonny replies and he knows instinctively it’s the right thing to say.

Paul’s face falls and goes ashen as Sonny turns his back and walks away to put space between them.

One simple question and Sonny’s whole world tilts on its axis, slots back into place where he didn’t know it was broken. He takes a deep breath and then turns around to face a dejected and defeated-looking Paul.

“I’m sorry, Paul. I love you, I do. I just can’t marry you.”  

“Is this because I said no to you all those years ago because I wanted to marry you then and I want to marry you now.”  

Sonny shakes his head and closes the distance between them, taking Paul’s free hand in one of his. “I love you. I really do. And the last three years with you have been so wonderful and it was just what I needed, I think,” Sonny babbles.

“But you still love Will,” Paul cuts him off. It’s no more than a whisper.

Sonny swallows thickly. “I didn’t - I didn’t even really know I did until right now and I know that’s not fair to you but I can’t change how I feel. I tried it and it didn’t work.”

“I know how that is. Trust me,” Paul says sadly, brushing Sonny’s cheek with his knuckles. “I will always be so grateful for these three years we had together. And a little piece of advice from someone who lost the best thing that ever happened to him? Find Will and tell him. Before it’s too late.”

Sonny nods and smiles sadly. Paul brushes their lips together one last time and then leaves Sonny standing alone in the middle of the dance floor.  
______________________________________________________

Two weeks after Arianna’s fifth birthday, Neil sits Will down at their kitchen table and takes Will’s hands in his.

“I got a job offer this afternoon,” Neil says.

“You did! That’s great,” Will says excitedly. “I’m so proud of you!” After a beat, “Why don’t you look happy?”

“It’s in Tokyo.”

  

“Oh.” Will’s heart sinks and the smile fades from his face. “What is it?”

  “Lead engineer on a new super computer chip to increase brain maximization. It’s with one of the best technology companies in the world.”

“How long?"

“Three years at a minimum.”

Will bites his lip and blinks back tears. “When do you have to tell them your decision?” Will asks quietly. 

“I have a week to give them an answer.”

“Okay,” Will whispers and even still his voice quakes.

“Come here,” Neil says and holds his arms out for Will. 

Will scoots forward in his chair so he can wrap his arms around Neil’s shoulders. Neil’s arms snake around his back and hold him tightly. Will buries his nose into the crook Neil’s neck and closes his eyes, breathing in Neil’s scent.

* * * * * * *

Five days later, Will crawls into bed and pillows his head on Neil’s chest. “You should take the job,” he says quietly.

“Will…”

“No.” Will tilts his head up to look at Neil. “Whatever you’re going to say, whatever reasons you’re going to give for why you should stay - don’t. This job is an amazing opportunity for you. You should take it,” Will repeats firmly, propping himself up on his elbows.

“Is that really what you want?” Neil asks, his eyes soft but questioning.

Will hesitates. “It’s what you need to do.”

Neil cups the side of Will’s face. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. So much. I can’t even believe how much I love you,” Will says shakily and an unbidden tear slips down his face. 

Neil thumbs it away and stretches his neck up to press their lips together. Will goes willingly when Neil pulls him closer and rests his head once again on Neil’s chest when they break apart a minute later.

* * * * * * * * *

They say goodbye at the airport, Neil’s carry-on bag parked on the ground next to where they stand clinging to each other. Neil’s arms are around Will’s waist and Will’s are wrapped tightly around Neil’s neck even as Will presses a soft and gentle kiss to the space just underneath Neil’s ear.

“I love you,” Will whispers and pulls away a little to look into Neil’s eyes.

“I love you, too. But can you promise me one thing?” Will nods. “Don’t wait around for me, okay? You have too much love in your heart to be tethered to a boyfriend halfway across the world.”

“I promise,” Will says as the last call for Neil’s flight booms over the speaker system.

“And tell Ari I love her too,” Neil says, picking up his bag.

“I will.” Will hesitates for only a second and then smashes their lips together in a final kiss.

When they pull away, Neil presses their foreheads together for a minute and then walks away to board his plane.  
_______________________________________________________

It happens like a movie.

Sonny’s walking in Horton Town Square in the middle of December, his hands full with bags full of Christmas presents, when he spots Will walking through the archway on the other side of the Square. At that exact moment, Will looks up from whatever he’s reading on his phone and catches sight of Sonny staring at him. Their eyes lock and they both come to a complete standstill. 

Will recovers first, his lips curling at the ends into a small smile, and he makes a beeline for where Sonny stands. 

“Hi,” Will says. 

“Hi,” Sonny replies, his mind still coming back to his senses at Will suddenly popping back into his life. He had never had the chance to make that phone call Paul had told him to. It almost feels like Fate.

“Can I help you with those?” Will asks and Sonny’s confused for a second until he realizes Will means the packages he’s holding. 

“Oh! No, they’re pretty light. Thanks, though.” After a beat, he asks, “You’re in Salem.”  

“I am in Salem,” Will answers slowly, almost like he can’t believe it himself. “Mom and the kids came too, actually. Grandma Caroline’s sick. They think it might be her last Christmas.”  

“I was wondering why I hadn’t seen her around the last few times I was at the Pub. I’m sorry.”  

“Were you going somewhere? We can walk and catch up?” Will cocks his head to the side slightly like he always did when he was curious. 

“Uh, sure. Yeah. I was just going home.” Sonny realizes as he says it that the apartment is no longer Will’s home.

Will smiles and gestures for Sonny to lead the way. 

* * * * * * * *  


Fifteen minutes later, Sonny digs the key to the apartment out of his pocket and opens the door. 

Will is surprised at first that Sonny still lives in the apartment they had shared, had thought maybe the memories would have been to difficult for him, or that he would have moved back across the hall to the smaller apartment. So when Sonny opens the door of apartment 15, it gives Will pause to go inside. 

He hasn’t thought much over the last three years about the two years he’d spent here with Sonny and Ari and Gabi, not since he’d started to get his life back on track in LA. Stepping over the threshold into the apartment is like stepping into the past, except he’s a different person now and the past doesn’t seem as scary anymore as the future once had. 

“It looks the same,” Will says, almost to himself but Sonny smiles. 

“There wasn’t really any need to change it. Ari’s room is an office though.”

“Didn’t like the one at TBD anymore?” Will jokes, sitting down on the couch.

“It was - it was actually for Paul,” Sonny says carefully, putting the presents in the closet. 

“Oh.” He’s long over the fact that Sonny dated Paul after the divorce but hearing that Paul was living in their home, sleeping in their marriage bed stings a bit, even if it was his own fault he isn’t still living here. “Was?” Will asks, after what Sonny said registers.

“We, um, we broke up a few months ago. Want a soda or a water or something?”

“A soda, please. Thanks. I’m sorry about you and Paul. Do you mind if I ask what happened?” He doesn’t want to pry but he’s genuinely interested and suddenly a lot happier than he was ten minutes ago. 

Sonny’s quiet while he gets drinks from the fridge and sits down on the couch next to Will. “It just wasn’t working anymore.” 

Will can tell he’s lying but he doesn’t push for the real reason. Soon, maybe, they’ll be close enough again for Will to get the truth but for now he lets it go.

“If it helps at all, my boyfriend moved to Tokyo for a job. And we were working just fine.”

* * * * * * * *  


Sonny’s heart skips at the mention of Will having a boyfriend and then a second later beats fast against his chest with the knowledge that Will is single now. 

“I’m actually surprised you didn’t hear about it through the grapevine,” Will says.

“What?” Sonny laughs, confused. “Why would I know what your boyfriend was doing?”

  “My boyfriend was Neil.”

Sonny’s mouth drops open in surprise. “Neil Hultgren? Neil who you made out with in the Square when you were drunk out of your mind? That Neil?”

Will throws his head back in laughter. “That Neil.”

“Wow. I had no idea he was even in LA. We lost touch soon after he told the police your alibi. How did you even find him?” Sonny is genuinely curious now, his ache for Will momentarily forgotten.

“I was covering a science convention for the _Times_ and he was the assistant of one of the researchers. He found me, actually.”  

“That’s so weird. Congrats on the journalism job. I’m, um, really proud of you for getting your dream job,” Sonny says, hoping it’s not too forward. 

“Thanks.”

“What about you? I heard something about you opening a new place?”

“I took over the piano bar on the east side of town, Blondie’s. Fixed it up a bit. Made it more modern,” Sonny answers. “It’s got competition with Victor’s club on the South Side but it does okay.”

“Wow. That’s great. I’m glad this one worked out for you,” Will says and the air thickens a bit with tension. 

After a beat, Sonny says, “I also read your book. Great stuff. I particularly liked the righteous alien with a dark side. Seemed a bit familiar, if I do say so myself.” 

* * * * * * *  


Will grins sheepishly. “Was it really that obvious? Oh god. The whole town is going to hate me.” Will buries his face in his hands but he’s laughing. 

“Can’t be worse than all the other times the town has hated you,” Sonny deadpans. 

Will chuckles as his phone buzzes. “Oh. It’s Mom. I have to go. But can we meet up tomorrow and catch up some more? And maybe you can see Ari if you want?”

Sonny nods and grins ear-to-ear. “Yeah. Yeah. I’d love that.” 

It reminds Will of a moment a long time ago, the two of them in the Square in the middle of the summer, when Will had first been outed in the papers - ironically because of Neil - and Will had asked Sonny to go to a movie. Sonny has the same look on his face now as he did then and Will wonders what it means. 

He shakes off the memory and asks, “Can I give you a hug?” 

“Yeah,” Sonny answers and he sounds breathless. 

Will closes the gap between them and wraps his arms around Sonny tentatively until he feels Sonny wraps his own arms around Will’s waist, pulling him close. Will buries his face in Sonny’s shoulder on instinct and his heartbeat speeds up, unbidden. 

When they break apart, their faces are inches apart but then Will’s phone buzzes again and the moment is broken. 

“I’ll, um,” Will clears his throat. “I’ll text you about meeting tomorrow?”

Sonny nods and opens the door for Will. “I’m glad we have some time to catch up.”

“Me too,” Will says, walking out. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” and then he’s gone.

* * * * * * * * *  


Sonny’s heart beats wildly in his chest as he waits at the Brady Pub for Will and Ari. Will had texted earlier about meeting here for lunch around noon; it’s five to twelve and Will hates being late. 

Will arrives five minutes later at twelve on the dot, a five and a half year old Arianna Grace clinging to his hand and walking tentatively a little bit behind him. Sonny realizes that Ari hasn’t been in Salem in over three years - let alone seen him - but his heart bursts at the sight of her and he swears sunshine fills up the Pub. 

She hides behind Will’s legs at first, unsure of who he is, and suddenly Sonny regrets immensely that he never used the visitations Will had granted him. 

“Ari? Do you remember Sonny?” Will asks, bending down so he’s eye level with his daughter. “You’ve seen pictures of him? Remember? You asked me the other day when we were looking at old pictures.”

She peeks around Will’s head, looks up at Sonny who waits patiently, and she stares at him intently, her eyes squinted not in suspicion but as if she’s trying to remember him. After a long few seconds, she nods, still looking at Sonny, and gives him a smile. 

Sonny’s heart turns over in his chest and he crouches down next to the table.

“Do you want to say hello?” Will asks, smiling encouragingly at Ari. 

She lets go of Will’s hand and then scuttles forward into Sonny’s waiting arms. Sonny lets out a choked back sob and buries his nose in her white-blonde hair. He locks eyes with Will, who’s biting his lip to keep his smile from growing, and smiles back when Ari hugs him tighter. 

* * * * * * * *  


If Will is being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure how Ari would react to Sonny. He’s shown her pictures over the years but Sonny had never used any of his visitations so he didn’t know if she’d really remember him or not. Seeing her hug Sonny so tightly alleviates his fears and makes his chest expand almost painfully.

Neil had been so good with Ari, and Ari had adored him, but Sonny is the one who gave Ari life and he had always had a special bond with her. It had broken his heart to see Sonny break that bond simply because of what had happened between them, but now he has so much hope that maybe Ari and Sonny can begin to rebuild their relationship even if he and Sonny never can rebuild theirs. 

When Ari starts to wriggle out of Sonny’s grasp, Will says, “Mom’s waiting outside with the kids. I thought Ari could go to the park with them once she saw you.”

“Yeah. Okay,” Sonny replies and waves goodbye as Will takes her to Sami. 

Will returns less than a minute later and sits down at the table opposite Sonny. “I’m starving. I have to say, I’ve missed the Pub burgers. They just don’t make them the same in LA.”

Sonny chuckles and says, “So tell me about life in LA.”

“Oh. Well, um, you know about the _Times_ job and my novel. There isn’t really much else to tell.”

“You’ve been living there for over three years. There must be something. Any other guys besides Neil?” Sonny asks and Will feels like he’s searching for something. 

“A few. Nothing serious, really. Most got scared off by Ari. Neil adored her though.”

* * * * * * * *  


“Was it hard? Saying goodbye to him?” Sonny asks casually, after they place their orders.

Will fidgets with his napkin and doesn’t answer right away. “It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. Apart from making the decision to stop fighting for you, I’d say maybe even the hardest. I loved him but it was the right thing to do. It was a great job offer. I couldn’t let him turn it down.”

Will’s words shock Sonny; he sounds so much more grounded, so much more mature than he did when their marriage fell apart. 

“You’re so different,” Sonny muses aloud before realizing what he’s said. “Sorry. That came out wrong,” he apologizes as he dumps ketchup on his burger and fries.

“No. You’re right. I am a different person than I was when we were together. I did a lot of thinking and soul searching and growing in LA. I got a job completely on my own merit and I got a book published by myself. I live in an apartment that I pay for entirely by myself and I can provide a stable home for my daughter, even if it’s just me for now.” He pauses and looks at Sonny. “I don’t feel so lost anymore.” 

“That’s great, Will. I’m really proud of you,” Sonny says with his hand frozen in midair, halfway to his mouth with a French fry. 

“Thanks.” Will holds his gaze for a beat. Then, “I should go. I have to go last minute Christmas shopping. Ari will kill me if Santa doesn’t get her that new Barbie doll she wants.”

“Well, then you better get going!” Sonny jokes. “It’s on me,” he says when Will pulls out his wallet.

“No. Let me pay for half!”  

“Go shopping, Will. It’s on me,” Sonny says firmly.

Will relents and slips his wallet back into his pocket. “Thank you for the lunch, Sonny.”

Sonny’s heart aches to kiss him goodbye but he watches with a plastered-on smile as Will leaves the pub.

* * * * * * * *  


They don’t see each other again until after Christmas, but Sonny sends Will a _Merry Christmas!_ text message to which Will replies _You too!! :)_. They text each other a few more times during that week and it makes Will indescribably happy to see Sonny’s face light up his phone again. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed it, exchanging messages with Sonny, until it starts up again. 

While he had dated in Los Angeles, he hadn’t made any real friends, friends that he would see outside of work and have text message conversations with when he should have been writing a story, or someone he could talk to when things got tough.

So when Sami calls him in tears two days after Christmas to tell him that Caroline has died, Will is eternally thankful that he and Sonny have somehow managed to pick up their friendship as if they had never lost it. Without thinking, Will hurries through town, arriving at Sonny’s apartment by instinct, and knocks frantically on the door, hoping Sonny is home.

Sonny answers the door a minute later. “Will!” Sonny smiles but it fades when he sees Will is close to tears. He steps aside to let Will into the apartment. “What’s wrong? Is Ari okay?”

“Grandma Caroline died this morning,” Will croaks out. 

“Oh, Will,” Sonny says softly and closes the gap between them to give him a hug. 

Will melts into it, buries his face in Sonny’s shoulder, and cries. 

* * * * * * * * *  


It’s the easiest decision he’s made in a long time, deciding to go to Caroline’s funeral with Will. He had loved Caroline too; her speech at their wedding is a memory he’ll treasure forever. He picks Will and Ari up at the Salem Inn and drives them silently to St. Luke’s for the service and he squeezes back when Will laces their fingers together as they sit side-by-side. Will clings to his hand tightly, almost painfully, when they lower the coffin into the grave, and Sonny wraps an arm around Will’s waist when he starts to cry. 

Afterwards, when the family starts to disperse and head to the Pub for lunch, Will asks quietly, “Can we go to your apartment? I don’t really want to go to the Pub but I don’t want to be alone.” 

Sonny nods and Will squeezes his hand again before passing Ari off to Sami with a few words. They drive back to the apartment in comfortable silence, Will sniffling occasionally under cover of the soft music playing over the radio.

When they get to the apartment, Will sits down on the couch and hugs a pillow to his chest. 

“Do you want something to drink?” Sonny asks.

“Can you - can you just sit with me?” 

Sonny obliges and sits down on the couch next to Will. Will immediately scoots closer to him, curls into his side, and drops his head on Sonny’s shoulder. His heart clenches painfully, both for Caroline’s death and because this feels so much like it used to, back when they were together, when they were married, before everything went so horribly wrong. 

He slings his arm around Will’s back, pulling him closer, and rests his head against the top of Will’s. 

“I’m glad she got to see me get married,” Will whispers after they’ve been sitting in silence entwined with each other for ten minutes. 

“Me too,” Sonny replies. “Her speech was one of my favorite things about that day.”  

“Not marrying me?” Will asks and Sonny can tell it’s a joke and not prompted by any sort of insecurity.

“Marrying you will always be the most favorite thing I did with my life,” Sonny says softly but earnestly. 

Will shifts his head to look wide-eyed at Sonny and it takes all of Sonny’s willpower not to lean forward and kiss him. Will smiles sadly a little and then shifts his head back to the way it was, the moment broken. 

The sit quietly again and after a few minutes Sonny realizes Will has fallen asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, Sonny carefully reaches for the book lying on the coffee table and settles in to read until Will wakes up.

* * * * * * * *

Following Caroline’s death, Will takes an indefinite sabbatical from the _LA Times_. Sami and the kids are staying in Salem to help out at the Pub and the family with tying up Caroline’s affairs and Will doesn’t feel very much like returning to Los Angeles without her. 

The day before New Year’s Eve, Will goes to TBD for a cup of coffee and hopefully to see Sonny. 

“Hey,” Sonny says as Will sits down on a bar stool. 

“Hi,” Will says with a smile. 

“How are you?” 

“I’m okay. Thanks.” He pulls the saucer and coffee cup towards him and slides two fingers into the handle. 

“How long are you staying? Just for New Year’s?” Sonny asks.

“I, um, I actually took an indefinite sabbatical from the paper. Mom and the kids are staying for a while to help out at the Pub and the family and I didn’t feel like going back without her. I kind of feel like Salem is where I need to be right now.” He holds Sonny’s gaze for a bit and then says, “Thanks for the other day after the funeral. It really meant a lot to me.”

“It was no problem,” Sonny replies, smiling bashfully and ducking his head. 

Will’s heart flutters as memories of their first few weeks of dating flood his mind. 

“Listen, since you’re gonna be around, I’m having a New Year’s party at Blondie’s around 10. You should come. If you want.”

Butterflies flap in Will’s stomach and he feels twenty years old again, when he was just discovering his feelings for his best friend. 

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll be there,” Will says breathlessly. 

Sonny grins and they stare at each other until a glass shatters at one of the tables and Sonny’s attention is pulled away. 

“i should go take care of that,” Sonny says. 

Will nods. “I’ll see you at the party tomorrow. Thank you for the coffee,” Will says and leaves. 

* * * * * * * *

Sonny vibrates with nerves as people file into Blondie’s. It’s the first holiday party he’s hosted here; mostly, it’s because Will had agreed to come. 

At around 10:30 he’s hugging his mother when he catches sight of Will over her shoulder. His heart skips a beat as his eyes rove over his ex-husband. He looks stunning in charcoal gray slacks, a white button down shirt, and a black blazer. As Sonny pulls away from Adrienne, he’s struck again by how confident Will is now and how he draws the attention of the room when he walks in. 

“Honey, are you sure this is a good idea?” Adrienne asks, following his gaze to Will. 

“Leave it, Mom,” Sonny reprimands and walks away towards Will. 

“Hi,” Sonny says, gently touching Will’s back to let him know he’s there.”

“Hi. The place looks great.”

“Thanks. I actually have to go take care of something at the bar, will you be okay?”

Will nods and Sonny disappears. He whispers, “Do not bother Will,” to his mother as he passes her and gives her a warning glare before heading to the bar.

From the bar, he watches Will mingle with partygoers, marveling for the second time tonight how confident and sure of himself Will is now. All the insecurity and fear that Will had had when they were together seems gone, his head held higher and his back straighter. For over an hour, Will talks with people he doesn’t know, some he does, old friends he’s lost touch with since he moved to LA.

Around fifteen minutes to midnight, Will weaves his way through a crowd of increasingly drunk partiers to get to the bar. 

“Drink?” Sonny asks.

* * * * * * * *

Will shakes his head. “Dance with me?” He hasn’t had a drop of alcohol tonight but he feels lightheaded and dizzy. 

He holds out his hand and his body thrums with pleasure when Sonny takes it and makes his way out from behind the bar. Will leads Sonny to a free spot near the middle of the dance floor and they automatically fall into their old dancing position, Will’s arms around Sonny’s neck and Sonny’s arms wrapped tightly around Will’s waist. 

“I’m really glad you came tonight,” Sonny says as they sway to the music. 

“Me too.” The butterflies in his stomach flit wildly in his stomach when Sonny smiles at him. They dance in silence for a couple minutes until Will asks, “Why did you lie about why you and Paul ended?”

Sonny mouth drops open in surprise at the question and his eyes search Will’s. “He asked me to marry him. After all these years, he finally wanted to marry me,” Sonny says. “But I couldn’t do it. So he left. Just like I did in San Francisco.”

Will cocks his head to side, sure there’s more to the story. “Is that all?” People around them start counting down to midnight but Will barely hears them, waiting for Sonny’s answer.

_10…9…8…7…6…5…_

“He knew I was still in love with someone else,” Sonny says, looking Will straight in the eyes. 

_4…3…2…_

Will stops breathing. 

_1._

His heart beating wildly against his chest just as it did on a sunny afternoon in September outside the Brady Pub so long ago, Will closes the little gap between them and presses his lips to Sonny’s. 

* * * * * * * *  


It happens like a movie.

Slow motion with people counting down in the background, words and numbers he barely hears. There are shouts of “Happy New Year!” all around him but all Sonny can see, all he cares about, is this man, this beautiful, wonderful man he has loved for so long, leaning in and pressing their lips together in a soft and tender kiss. 

He swears the world stops, is sure that all the sound drains completely from Blondie’s, as Will’s lips move against his own. It’s instinctual, muscle memory, the way their mouths slot together, close and hot, tongues swirling around each other, as if they’ve been kissing each other like this everyday for last three years and had never stopped. 

Will runs his fingers through the hair at the base of Sonny’s neck as they deepen the kiss, and Sonny tightens his grip on Will’s waist, pulling him closer, flush against his chest. 

Even through the heady and dizzying sensation of finally kissing Will again after so long, Sonny can tell even with this Will is more confident, bolder in the way he pushes his tongue deeper into Sonny’s mouth, more sure of what’s doing and that what he’s doing is right. 

When they break apart for air, Will leans his forehead against Sonny’s, his eyes still closed. “I love you, too.” 

Sonny’s heart skips several beats but he has to ask. “What about Neil? You just broke up a few months ago. And it wasn’t because you didn’t love him anymore.”

Will pulls away to look at him and slides one of his hands to cup Sonny’s cheek. “I loved Neil a lot. I did. But you’re my first love, Son. I never stopped loving you.”

Sonny’s lips turn up at the corners in a soft smile and he leans forward again for a gentle kiss. 

“Come home with me?” Sonny breathes against Will’s lips. 

Will nods and places a little kiss at the corner of Sonny’s mouth. 

They stay at the bar for another fifteen minutes while Will helps Sonny quickly clean up what mess had been made from confetti and streamers, and then they leave Blondie’s, their fingers laced together at their sides.

* * * * * * * * * *

When Sami and Rafe had renewed their wedding vows in Horton Town Square, Will had been too blinded by everything in his life to appreciate the beauty of it. But standing here, next to Sonny, redoing his own vows, Will understands now why his mother had chosen such a place to have a wedding. 

It’s a beautiful June summer’s night, so the roof is open, and the fairy lights that hang from the rafters and string along the trees make the plaza look magical.

It’s a shorter wedding this time, no speeches by Lucas or Justin or Caroline (though she is remembered in their hearts), no walks down the aisle with Sami and Adrienne, but Marlena officiates once again and Ari sprinkles the ground with flowers as she follows Allie and Sydney down the make-shift aisle towards where Sami sits with Lucas. T and Abigail stand next to them, Best Man and Best Woman twice over, and Alice and Tom Horton look on from the plaque under the tree. 

They had decided to exchange new rings; using their old ones felt like a bad omen, like they were trying to reclaim their past. This wedding, this time, is about starting fresh, a brand new relationship, between two different people who have grown and changed and matured to create something better than they were before.

“Sonny, I once said that I was only going to get married once and that it would be to you. I was wrong about only getting married once. But I wasn’t wrong about only marrying you. I still believe what E.M Forster said about two imperfect souls coming together to create something perfect; you and I are both imperfect people but we are perfect together. You are such a gift, Sonny, and I promise to never take you for granted again. You are the love of my life and I respect you so much. Words cannot describe how much I admire and adore you. Mostly, I just love you,” Will finishes with a smile. 

“Will, I wasn’t lying when I said my life with you and Arianna was going to be the greatest adventure of my life. I got a little lost for a while in the midst of that adventure but I am so…ecstatic that you want to go on that adventure with me again. You are still the anchor that grounds me to this world without weighing me down not to mention the love of my life. I love you so much, Will,” Sonny says, tears in his eyes even as he gives Will a dazzling grin.

With a gentle push from Sami, Johnny walks over to them and holds out his hand, their rings sparkling in the setting sun. 

Will and Sonny take each other’s ring, Will ruffling his little brother’s hair in thanks, and then turn back to each other. 

Slipping their rings on each other’s hand with words of “As I give you this ring, so I give you my heart.” is like coming home for both Will and Sonny, a renewal of a promise broken but never lost or forgotten. 

Their second first kiss as husbands occurs as the first stars twinkle in the sky above them and their second first dance is to soft music filtering through the speakers hidden around the Square. They sway and twirl through the middle of Horton Town Square like in a fantasy, their family and friends framing them on the edges of the plaza, their daughter prancing and swirling in her party dress behind them. 

* * * * * * * *  


_12 Years Later_

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to Salem U?” Will asks, playing with the ends of Ari’s hair that fall over her shoulders.

“I’m sure, Daddy,” Ari says kindly. “I’ll be in LA. Grandma and Aunt Sydney can check on me everyday if it’ll make you feel better.”  

“Leave her alone, Will,” Sonny reprimands and slides his arm around Will’s waist. 

“Why do we have to carry these?” ten year-old Lucas asks, pulling Ari’s carry-on suitcase to a standstill next to Sonny. His twin brother Justin stops beside him with a backpack. 

“Because you are good little brothers helping your big sister one last time before she goes to college,” Will answers, staring down his son. 

“Fine,” Justin huffs as a last call for Ari’s flight comes over the sound system. 

“That’s me,” Ari whispers. She wraps her arms under Will’s arms and pulls him into a tight embrace. 

Will kisses her hair and returns the hug. “I love you.”

  

“I love you, too, Daddy.” She squeezes him once more and then breaks away to hug Sonny. 

“I love you, Sweetpea,” Sonny says. 

“I love you, too, Papa,” Ari replies, her voice muffled in Sonny’s shoulder. 

When she pulls away, she turns to the twins. “Okay, punks. Be good for Dads. And no, you cannot turn my bedroom into a game room.” They both groan but simultaneously walk forward to give her a hug. “I’m gonna miss you two waking me up at the crack of dawn,” Ari says, kissing each of them on the top of their head.

“I’ll call you when I land,” Ari says to Will as she quickly hugs him one more time before picking up her backpack and grabbing her carry-on. 

Then she turns and leaves, Will, Sonny, and the twins watching her disappear onto the plane.


End file.
